Teen who helped family escape from van is among those killed in Texas floods

Mollie Sylvester Schaffer had been married to her husband Randy for years when the Houston couple traveled to an annual get-together with friends on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt Texas She was killed in the catastrophic flash floods that so far have claimed the lives of people They include a budding -year-old actress and twin sisters from Dallas The flooding originated from the fast-moving waters of the Guadalupe River on the Fourth of July Leadership say search and rescue efforts are still underway including for campers missing from a summer camp for girls Malaya Grace Hammond Malaya Grace Hammond of Marble Falls was in a van with her family on their way to a Christian summer camp Saturday It was dark and raining and they were unable to see that a bridge had washed out in Travis County Hammond was able to open a door allowing the family to escape but she was swept away by floodwaters family friends announced She was exposed Monday An avid lover of the arts she expressed her creativity through painting dancing and vocalizing according to her obituary Her ability to harmonize I think matched her ability to harmonize with others her father Matthew Hammond commented in a video posted Thursday on Facebook She felt that harmony was our natural state Bailey Martin Odessa Police Officer Bailey Martin was killed in the July Texas floods near Kerrville He was on a family trip to the Guadalupe River the police department revealed Bailey s father Bobby and stepmother Amanda were also killed in the flood according a release from the city of Odessa His girlfriend Jayda Floyd has been missing since the morning of July Martin was a native of Odessa who hoped to become a detective according to a post on the department s Facebook s page profiling recruits I yearned to join because the world we live in is invariably changing and I desired to do everything I can to be part of my locality as it grows allowing me to preserve the peace and safety Martin disclosed in the post His body was escorted back to Odessa by a procession of police and other exigency vehicles on Wednesday The department urged residents to replace their porch lights with blue bulbs for the rest of the week in honor of Martin Mollie Sylvester Schaffer Mollie Sylvester Schaffer of Houston and her husband were at an annual reunion with best friends at the River Inn on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt The couple married for years evacuated early July Fourth in her SUV She attempted to drive up a hill But as the water rose the wagon started floating and the doors wouldn t open her husband Randy Schaffer posted Monday on Facebook Mollie lowered the front windows and noted to dive out feet first I tried but my seat was low the window was high and I fell back into the seat The last words she ever spoke were You have to push harder he wrote I pushed as hard as I could and went out the window Randy Schaffer declared he was able to wrap his arms around a pole and climb up until his head was above water He looked for his wife but she had been swept into the river Her body was recovered on Sunday She wouldn t leave the car until she was sure that I had done so She saved my life It wasn t my day to die I wish that it hadn t been hers he wrote Renee Smajstrla Renee Smajstrla a -year-old straight-A scholar from Ingram Texas who had played a role in her school s production of The Wizard of Oz was one of the casualties who died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic her family disclosed Renee had just completed second grade and aspired to play the lead role in an upcoming camp production according to a funeral home obituary At school she played The Lullaby League munchkin in The Wizard of Oz Renee was a great classmate friend and teammate the obituary commented Being an athlete but a cheerleader at heart Renee often unveiled herself rooting for both teams Her uncle posted a photo on Facebook of Renee showing pleasure at camp the day before the July floods She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic he wrote Sally Graves Sally Sample Graves was killed in the Texas flood when her home was swept away by the rampaging waters her family explained Graves was with her son and his dog granddaughter Sarah Sample announced in an Instagram post A powerful ft wave destroyed her home sweeping her and our dad downstream Sample wrote Graves son and his dog survived We find solace knowing our dad was with her until the very end caring for her as he has for years Sample added in her post Her unwavering dedication to family has left an indelible mark on our lives Graves spent her life performing innumerable quiet acts of function according to a funeral home obituary Sally was known for her sharp intellect quick wit and gracious spirit the obituary read A consummate host she had a special way of making others feel welcome and cared for creating a beautiful home filled with laughter and hospitality Mary Kate Jacobe Mary Kate Jacobe an -year-old from Houston described by her family as tiny but mighty was a camper at Camp Mystic killed in the July flooding Jacobe s family described the girl as having a smile that melted your heart Mary Kate our Sissy was the baby of our large family and was the majority certainly our angel on Earth her family commented in a report We are utterly shattered and forever changed by the loss of our girl Joyce Catherine Badon Ella Cahill and Reese Manchaca Joyce Catherine Badon Ella Cahill and Reese Manchaca had been friends since high school The three gathered for the July Fourth holiday with Cahill s boyfriend at a home in Hunt along the Guadalupe River All three young women were killed At a m this morning a flash flood came through and washed their cars away Badon s mother Kellye Badon posted on Facebook on July It happened so hastily with so much water they could not get in the attic She mentioned Cahill s boyfriend who remains missing called his dad as it was happening then got washed away with Cahill and Manchaca Kellye Badon announced her daughter was the last person heard from on that call before the phone went dead Badon of Beaumont was a senior architecture candidate at the Savannah College of Art and Design A beloved daughter friend and classmate Joyce was passionate about using her artistry and talent to impact the world and had just now helped redesign donation centers for Goodwill the school disclosed in an email Manchaca was a newest graduate of Caney Creek High School in Conroe The Conroe Independent School District where her mother is a longtime employee was offering Forever in our Hearts T-shirts featuring images of Texas and angel s wings with proceeds going to the family Cahill s sister Mackenzie Hodulik sought people to keep her sister s memory in their hearts It s not fair Hodulik posted on Facebook Tuesday She needed more time We all needed more time with her I m mad sad but at peace knowing she isn t suffering anymore There are no words for this kind of pain Mary Grace Baker Mary Grace Baker who had in recent days celebrated her first Holy Communion was among the casualties at Camp Mystic from the flash foods her school revealed Mary Grace was a bright light in our close-knit school family known for her kindness and friendship to all her joyful spirit and her love for her faith and family St Anne Catholic School in Beaumont reported on its Facebook page Her giggle was contagious as was her spirit Mary Grace had just completed second grade The school s post described her as a girls girl who loved pink sparkles and bows in her signature angelic ringlet curls The school questioned its society to place pink ribbons in trees in honor of Mary Grace after she went missing following the floods Julian Ryan Father and fiance Julian Ryan of Ingram Texas lost his life while saving his family during the flooding and helping them escape In an interview with KHOU his fiancee Christina Wilson announced that the -year-old severed an artery in his arm when he broke a window get her their children and his mother to the roof He looked at me and the kids and my mother-in-law and he was like Sorry I m not gonna make it I love y all Wilson stated Julian jumped into action to protect and save his family and get them to safety Julian gave his life for his family passing as a true hero Joseph Rounsley and Jennifer Mercer wrote on a GoFundMe for Ryan s family James and Cindy Rushing James and Cindy Rushing were camping along the Guadalupe River at the HTR TX Hill Country Campground on the Fourth of July when the flooding struck The amount of grief my family is feeling is immeasurable their son James Evan Rushing wrote in a social media post My parents have been uncovered and they are unfortunately gone My heart is broken into pieces After the flooding their daughter Tamra Blasius visited their campsite and discovered nothing left Everything gone their camper their truck their belongings perfectly washed away There was no sign that anyone had ever been there It was absolutely gut-wrenching she wrote in a social media post on Saturday On Monday she wrote that her worst fears were endorsed my parents were identified and identified but tragically they did not survive Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were -year-old sisters from Dallas who were among the casualties killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic The girls had just finished second grade their parents noted Hanna and Rebecca brought so much elation to us to their big sister Harper and to so various others John and Lacy Lawrence declared in a comment We will find methods to keep that ecstasy and to continue to spread it for them But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them and that they shared with each other is now frozen in time David Lawrence the girls grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald disclosed it has been an unimaginable time for all of us He disclosed the girls gave their family including their sister gratification They and that elation can never be forgotten he stated in a announcement University Park Elementary School where Hanna and Rebecca attended announced on its website that numerous students were in the Texas Hill Country during the flooding and had to evacuate The school did not straightaway respond to a message left Monday morning We are deeply saddened to analysis the loss of multiple students and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families deeply affected by this unimaginable tragedy the school commented on its site Reece and Paula Zunker Reece Zunker was described as a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach by Tivy High School in Kerrville Texas His unwavering dedication to our students athletes and the Tivy public touched countless lives and will never be forgotten the school posted online Sunday Paula Zunker was a former coach at the school The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt even years later the post stated The couple s young children Lyle and Holland were still missing the school stated The family had been staying at a river house in Hunt Dick Eastland Among the dead is Dick Eastland the Camp Mystic director Paige Sumner a former camper described him in a column in the local paper The Kerrville Daily Times as the father figure to all of us while we were away from home Sumner spent one summer working in the camp office balancing accounts for the commissary where campers bought snacks and other essentials like stamps She wrote that her desk was outside Eastland s office He still put campers first in every situation wrote Sumner who is now the head of philanthropy at a district center in Kerrville If an issue of any kind that needed attention came over the walkie-talkie even a camper with a minor injury or the dreaded snake in the river he would bolt out of the office and jump in a golf cart to get there as fast as he could Eastland s grandson George Eastland wrote in an Instagram post that his grandfather demonstrated him what a strong Christian man looks like If he wasn t going to die of natural causes this was the only other way saving the girls that he so loved and cared for he wrote In her column Sumner noted that the camp had plans for rain Usually she explained it means they deliver a special breakfast of sweet rolls to each cabin or trilling songs in the Rec Hall This level of flooding was unprecedented In a brief telephone call as she grappled with the flood s aftermath at her own office Sumner was reluctant to add more than she wrote in the column saying the camp desired privacy for the families We are still holding out hope she reported They are broken they are in shock Chloe Childress Chloe Childress was among the counselors at Camp Mystic who died in the devastating floods Childress lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious contentment unending grace and abiding faith her family stated in a announcement Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic her family commented Childress had just graduated from the Kinkaid School in Houston which praised her as deeply invested in her neighborhood Chloe had a remarkable way of making people feel seen She was wise beyond her years with a steady compassion that settled a room Jonathan Eads the head of the school noted in a letter to the school s neighborhood on Sunday Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day Chloe made space for others to feel safe valued and brave Janie Hunt Janie Hunt a relative of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was just years old Her mother Anne Hunt ratified her death to CNN while her grandmother Margaret Hunt endorsed it to The Kansas City Star The Chiefs franchise declined to comment But Clark Hunt s wife Tavia Hunt posted on Instagram and urged people to rely on their faith If your heart is broken I assure you God is near Tavia Hunt wrote in the post He is gentle with your wounds And He is still worthy even when your soul is struggling to believe it Tanya Burwick The last time Tanya Burwick s family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area When Burwick didn t show up for work her employer filed a missing persons analysis and sent a colleague to look for her Police assessing the -year-old s disappearance identified Burwick s unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day Her body was exposed the next morning blocks from the car She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh explained Lindsey Burwick who added that her mom was a beloved parent grandparent and colleague to multiple She and her brother Zac disclosed the day was especially arduous because it happened on July Fourth as they were working at a fireworks stand that s been in the family for generations As word of Tanya Burwick s disappearance spread people from Blackwell a small society of about people established up to the stand that s run out of a trailer painted orange People came to our aid Lindsey Burwick announced Police in San Angelo mentioned more than houses barns and other buildings have been affected by the floods in the society of roughly people We ask that the populace continue to keep the Burwick family in their thoughts and prayers as they deal with this heartbreaking tragedy the San Angelo Police Department disclosed in a Facebook post Jane Ragsdale Jane Ragsdale devoted her life to the Heart O the Hills Camp a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country She was a camper and counselor there herself in the s before becoming a co-owner By the s she was director of the camp in Hunt She was the heart of The Heart the camp commented in a report She was our guiding light our example and our safe place She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen loved and crucial Since the camp was between sessions no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose The camp s facilities directly in the path of the flood were extensively damaged and access to the site remained complicated according to camp functionaries The camp has been in existence since the s Camp executives explained Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom We are heartbroken But above all we are grateful the camp declared Grateful to have known her to have learned from her and to carry her light forward In a oral history for the Kerr County Historical Commission Ragsdale whose first name was Cynthie but went by her middle name Jane talked about how her father was also a camp director and how much she enjoyed her experiences I loved every minute of camp from the first time I stepped foot in one she recalled Videos of Ragsdale strumming a guitar and vocalizing to campers during a fresh session were posted in a memorial on the camp s Facebook page Life is good the present day So keep trilling til we meet again Sarah Marsh Eight-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama had been attending Camp Mystic in Texas a longtime Christian girls camp in Hunt where several others were killed in the floods As of Sunday afternoon children were still missing Marsh was a apprentice at Cherokee Bend Elementary in suburban Birmingham This is an unimaginable loss for her family her school and our entire region Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch announced in a Facebook post Sarah s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her He explained the neighborhood where about people reside would rally behind the Marsh family as they grieved Her parents declined an interview request Sunday as they mourn this unbearable loss the girl s grandmother Debbie Ford Marsh advised The Associated Press in an email We will constantly feel favored to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives She will live on in our hearts forever Marsh wrote on Facebook We love you so much sweet Sarah She declined further comment U S Sen Katie Britt of Alabama also noted the girl s tragic death We continue to pray for the casualties loved ones the survivors those who are still missing and our brave first responders as search and rescue efforts continue in Texas she declared in a post on social media platform X Blair and Brooke Harber Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber both students at St Rita Catholic School in Dallas had been staying alongside the Guadalupe River when their cabin was swept away according to the school Pastor Joshua J Whitfield of St Rita Catholic Region which shares a campus with the school explained the girls parents Annie and RJ Harber were staying in a different cabin and were safe However their grandparents were unaccounted for Annie Harber has been a longtime trainer at the school This tragedy has touched every corner of our hearts the church noted in a announcement Sunday Blair who was enrolled in advanced classes was involved in numerous school programs from volleyball and basketball to speech and drama Brooke was a rising sixth grader and a participant athlete in volleyball and lacrosse among other sports She also participated in speech and drama according to the church Both were remembered for their kind hearts and warm personalities We will honor Blair and Brooke s lives the light they shared and the satisfaction they brought to everyone who knew them Whitfield wrote in a Saturday letter to parishioners And we will surround Annie RJ and their extended family with the strength and advocacy of our St Rita population The church held a special prayer facility Saturday afternoon and offered counseling Please keep the Harber family in your prayers during this time of profound grief Whitfield wrote May our faith our love and our St Rita locality be a source of strength and comfort in the days ahead This story corrects the spelling of Reese Manchaca s last name It also corrects that section on Joyce Badon to show that the school s comment came in an email not a Facebook post DeMillo informed from Little Rock Arkansas Hollingsworth from Mission Kansas McCormack from Concord New Hampshire Tareen from Chicago and Raza from Sioux Falls South Dakota Source